Masamitsu Koshima

The household waste we produce is transported to incineration plants and incinerated, and we are involved in the design of the incinerator, the central piece of equipment at these plants. Although they are all called waste incinerators, the amount and characteristics of waste that needs to be burned vary depending on the region and facility. Therefore, we carry out the necessary design calculations for each waste incinerator, determine the equipment specifications, and then create production drawings for manufacturing the equipment. After completion, we will inspect the system to ensure it is operating properly, and after delivery we will also be responsible for on-site trial operation. Although our department is called the "Equipment and Equipment Design Division," we don't just end with the design, but we work on a variety of different phases, so although it's hard work, it's very rewarding.

Troubles, big and small, are bound to occur on site. In this process, information about major problems that have occurred in the past is disseminated horizontally and shared. In addition, as we are constantly adding young employees to the company, we have created a troubleshooting guide for stoker incinerators so that anyone can handle any type of trouble that may arise, from major to minor. We plan to continue expanding the list so that we can cover a wide variety of patterns. In recent years, we have also been moving forward with design automation. In design work, we organize what can be organized by logic and automate it, which shortens the design period and leads to labor savings, and we can use the time saved to develop new technologies.

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way we work, what is common sense today may become nonsense in 10 years' time due to the emergence of some kind of trigger or game changer. As for waste incinerators, we may eventually move to a world where most waste is recycled rather than burned. In this environment, I would like to work with people who are not bound by stereotypes and are flexible enough to take on challenges. I don't think you'll have much of a breakthrough if you stick too closely to your own area of expertise. I myself aim to become an engineer with a broad perspective and flexibility; if the mechanical approach doesn't work, I'll turn to chemistry, and if that doesn't work, I'll make use of biology, control, or AI. At Ebara, we have an environment that allows you to think for yourself and do what you want, including a system that allows you to freely apply for research and development themes. I'm sure it will be attractive to young people.